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Definition of absurd:

Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream.

The word in use:

"The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth."

Albert Camus

ksolem wrote:Definition of absurd:
Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream.

In other words....




"When you reach that age, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag and suddenly before you know it you are a fat @%@&!"... After Stevie Haston Climbs 9a Sport Route at 52.

Making my annual pilgrimage to the Jtree pretty soon -- if I see Short Timer (unlikely since he climbs like ten grades above me ) I will make an effort to pick on him

Guyzo said it right.
In my humble opinion, each one has to be aware of the joke level to do it...if you know the person somtimes is better to make a joke to break the ice!

rhyang wrote:Making my annual pilgrimage to the Jtree pretty soon -- if I see Short Timer (unlikely since he climbs like ten grades above me ) I will make an effort to pick on him

Rob, I'll be in Ryan on Friday, Sat, and Sunday with Kris. Stop by and say hi.

Sent you a PM Jan We were there last week (trip report posted on the taco). Love to hang with you guys again sometime though. Have fun V !

Vitaliy M wrote:I will be there Thursday-Sunday, if all goes as planned.

Oh, and remember your assignment -- have some good pics to post in the crack climbing thread

Chimneys and offwidths are your friends !

rhyang wrote:

Vitaliy M wrote:I will be there Thursday-Sunday, if all goes as planned.

Oh, and remember your assignment -- have some good pics to post in the crack climbing thread

Chimneys and offwidths are your friends !

I tried to led a 5.8 on Twin Owls in Sept. One thing I can say with 100% certainty, offwidths are not my friends. Lucky for me someone go a nut stuck up there so I only had to leave a biener behind. I was only 20' - 30' off the deck

A couple of 5.7 crack routes in Jtree I really enjoyed were White Lightning and Mental Physics -- both high quality (and very popular) routes with wonderful hand-jamming fun. The former gets afternoon shade this time of year but the latter is south-facing and sunny all day. The Trad Guide to Joshua Tree is a good one for first-timers, and should be available at Nomad Ventures, the gear store just outside the park. This book also lists a bunch of other cool stuff you might like.

But beware, the ratings are a little stiff .. and also remember : nothing at Jtree is ever as easy as it looks

btw I think the Thai place should have the buffet running by now -- highly recommended !

you know what they say about crack climbing in Joshua Tree? it is a face climb with a crack for pro.

you should go to Santana and get a California burrito.

face climb with a crack for pro

On that note, check out Frosty Cone (5.7) on the Dairy Queen Wall. Lots of jugs for the hands and feet, mostly just used the cracks for pro. Pretty steep, but it felt like I was climbing at the gym

Vitaliy M wrote:where is this Thai place?

u haz google ? Hint: The town of Joshua Tree is pretty small. There is only one Thai place. Never been to the mexican joint Kevin mentioned, but hey if he likes it, must be worth a shot.

edit: another big climber hangout is Crossroads, which you've no doubt read about (there is even a thread about it in this forum somewhere) .. that is, if you can get a table !

Personally I think the best food to be had in Josh is at Crossroads: 1/2 Wild Harvest salad + seared Ahi.

The Royal Siam (Thai) is good too. Anyone here besides me been going there long enough to remember the original owner, Yai? How about the original location? Where did he open first?

Once back in about 1988 I was hanging with Yai, he had just opened in his new (current) location. We were the only ones there, and we were having some Thai beers. In walks a Brit fellow who sits in the next booth. Yai takes his order, which I will never forget because he said the word "very" seven times. "I like my food very very very very very very very spicy."

Yai goes back in the kitchen for a bit, comes out and gives said Brit his food and sits back down with me giving me an uncertain glance. The Brit wolfs down his food without a hiccup, pays his tab, thanks Yai for an excellent meal and leaves.

Yai was completely astonished. He said he had never ever served anyone such a spicy dish and he expected the fellow would not be able to eat more than one bite!

I never was able to find out exactly what happenned to Yai. One day I went in and there was a new owner, also a Thai gentleman but somewhat less wiry than Yai. I asked after Yai, and he told me they were family and he had taken over the business. He was not the type to sit and have beers but the food was and still is quite good.

It's my opinion that tape need only be used if you're climbing at Indian Creek for more than a day or the crack is notorious for having rock spurs inside the crack otherwise...

Learn to Jam!

AlpineAffinity wrote:It's my opinion that tape need only be used if you're climbing at Indian Creek for more than a day or the crack is notorious for having rock spurs inside the crack otherwise...

Learn to Jam!

now that is jam.

I know how to jam, actually prefer using straight jams, when other people go use side pulls and such. I also prefer to tape since I learned on REALLY sharp basalt and it would tear your fingers apart, I am also a person who likes to tape.

Its funny I often tape even when I climb finger cracks such as Ruby's Cafe at the Creek.